Suffer the Little Children
by Ria sama
Summary: AU. Sokka finds the Avatar when he is 17 years old. Aang's the last airbender alive. Sokka understands. He's the last living man in his tribe as well.


AN:This got into my head and wouldn't let me sleep until I wrote it down. So I wrote it, and I hope for the best.

* * *

Sokka finds the Avatar inside an iceberg when he's 17 years old and out hunting for food. The Avatar is a young boy, 12 years old and happy and carefree and best friends with a sky bison.

Aang is the Last airbender alive.

Appa is probably the last sky bison alive as well.

Sokka understands. He's the last man of his tribe as well.(The last one in his family, too)

Something to bond over, maybe.

.

Aang stays at the Southern Water Tribe village a week. Then two. They are nice people, all old ladies and middle-aged mothers and small children.

And Sokka of course, who is quietly distant and annoyed always.

Aang stays in Sokka's home, where the older boy lives together with his grandmother.

One night the young airbender is awoken by harsh whispers, quiet fighting.

"This is all about Katara, not about the boy." says GranGran.

"You don't _understand"_, says Sokka, "It's my fault."

Aang stays quiet and tries to sleep and forget, but his dreams are troubling and come morning he announces that he's going North, to learn waterbending and save the world.

Sokka volunteers to go with him.

No one tries to stop him.

.

Aang wants to visit his home, the Southern Air Temple. Sokka reluctantly agrees. On the way there, they stop at a small fishing village to gather supplies. They both wear cloaks over their blue and orange clothing, and don't stick out.

Just a young man and his younger, hyperactive, light skinned and happy brother.

There are rumors, even this far south, of the Fire Princess killing spirits.

Aang worries. Sokka says not to.

.

When they arrive at the Air Temple, they get separated almost immediately. Aang goes running off, trailing after an impossibly alive flying lemur (Another last of his kind to add to their group). He jumps and bends and laughs away into the mountains, and Sokka doesn't even try to follow.

Instead he roams the empty, ghost halls of the temple.

He finds the monks living quarters, their personal rooms. Most of them are open, but he finds one with a stone door sealed shut.

With help from rust, and age, and a knife, Sokka opens it. Inside is a library.

He reads the titles on scrolls half heartedly until he finds one that says _Baguazhang Fighting, Beginners_

Sokka picks it up.

There's an Intermediate and Advanced scroll as well. He stores them all in his bag. No one will miss them, here.

There's a rumble and the temple shakes, and Sokka hear an anguished scream.

He runs towards the source and finds Aang, only… he's not Aang, anymore.

Now he's the Avatar.

.

Between the dead mummy and the Fire Nation skeletons, Sokka guesses what's happened.

He's not sure how long he waits, hiding behind a rock until Aang is calm enough let him approach the younger boy and hug him.

Spirits, he's such a small child.

Aang cries into Sokka's shoulder and between sobs tells him about Gyatso, and running away, and freezing in an iceberg for over a hundred years.

Awkwardly, Sokka tells Aang that he's also lost his entire family- his mother and his father and… and his sister, to the Fire Nation.

They leave the temple in silence.

.

Miles away, on the Fire Nation Navy Base, Admiral Zhao receives a report from a scouting ship. There's been a beam of blue light, seen from miles around coming from the Southern Air temple.

It might be the Avatar.

.

Aang and Sokka travel.

Conversation is awkward after the exchange in the Air Temple, at first, but Aang trusts Sokka more now, and Sokka is less tense and stand-offish with the young boy.

Aang plays with Momo, the lemur, and Sokka practices the Baguazhang forms from the scrolls.

Its very different from the choppy fighting he's taught himself.

Aang helps with the basic forms. Airbending has similar stances.

It's a versatile style, and allows for incorporation of new elements. Sokka's water tribe fighting, the little that is actually useful, merges with the style gracefully. (The boomerang goes great with circular footwork, after all, in comes back in a circle as well).

Aang wants to visit Kyoshi Island to ride on a giant fish.

Sokka agrees because Aang deserves to be a child for a little longer.

.

Kyoshi Island was a bad idea.

It's protected by female warriors, fierce and untrusting.

And worst of all, arrogant. While eating, one of the warriors insults Sokka's clothing.

He lets it slide. But when she insults his tribe, he demands a duel. Masochism battles with pride, and pride wins out.

Suki, the leader, allows the fight, confident that her fellow Kyoshi will win.

Maybe she would have, if it weren't for her overconfidence, and if Sokka where younger, weaker, or if he hadn't begun to study Baguazhang.

As it is, he overpowers her.

The next day, Suki and he exchange fighting tips, and she teaches him a couple of Kyoshi style katas. She even gifts him a pair of fans.

"We've got hundreds lying around", she says, "there used to be more warriors, but then again, there used to be more people on Kyoshi as well."

It's like that everywhere. Less people in the Earth Kingdom and Watertribes. More, always more, in the Firenation.

They stay a third day because Aang likes to spend time with kids his own age. Well girls his age, who make him blush and show off.

Sokka smiles at Aang's stumbling, blushing interactions and trains with Suki.

Suki's a very pretty girl, with or without the makeup. She lets him kiss her, after training.

She lets him do much more than kiss her that night and then the next.

On the fifth day Admiral Zhao's fleet attacks.

The village burns, though thankfully no one dies. (But many are hurt, unfortunately)

Aang and Sokka escape on Appa, but the secret is gone, and now the world knows that the Avatar is alive.

.

They visit Omashu, one of the last free Earth Kingdom cities, and discover that Aang is not the only person over a hundred years old.

King Bumi is as well.

Sokka leaves Aang to catch up with his old friend and wanders around the marketplace.

Here, too, are rumors that the Fire Nation princess is killing spirits.

Close, too.

A cabbage vendor tells the story to anyone who will listen of a dangerous animal spirit that had been making villagers disappear and has been put down a couple of days ago. The spirit is gone now, forever. So are the lost villagers.

Sokka wonders if it's true.

Aang and he leave just in case the famous princess is nearby anyways.

.

Aang dreams of Avatar Roku.

Or rather, Avatar Roku visits Aang in his dreams.

Aang's spiritual connection is weak, he's still young and inexperienced. Roku speaks, but all Aang can hear is this:

"I've got a message for you. Come. My Temple. Winter Solstice."

Aang wakes up and tells Sokka.

The other boy agrees to go, even though its a terribly far side journey from the Northern Water Tribe, even though it's a dangerous mission.

Aang wonders if Sokka is hiding something from him, but doesn't press.

.

The temple is no longer a friend to the Avatar. But Shyu, one of the Sages, is. The other four alert admiral Zhao of the intrusion while Aang, Sokka and Shyu try to open the door to Roku.

When Zhao arrives, Aang is inside the temple, speaking to his last incarnation.

He learns of Sozin's comet, due to arrive in a matter of months and give the Fire Nation its final victory.

And something else.

There's a disturbance in the balance between the physical world and the spiritual one. Aang will have to deal with that, once he's stronger, Roku says.

Then Roku takes over and whilst in the Avatar State destroys the Island.

Sokka and Appa escape, as does Zhao, barely.

Shyu and the other Sages aren't so lucky.

.

Supplies run out fast, always.

Between Sokka's voracious appetite, Aang's vegetarianism, and neither knowing how to cook, they have to stop often in towns to get food. This time, they happen upon a Fire Nation controlled village. Someone recognizes Aangs tattoo's.

Word travels fast, in this world.

Before a fight can break out Aang and Sokka are 'rescued' by guerrilla soldiers.

They call themselves Freedom Fighters. The leader's name is Jet, and he promises to ally himself to the Avatar's cause if they'll just do him one favor.

Sokka is suspicious, but Aang, naive, friendly, trusting Aang agrees.

As it turns out, all Jet wants is help rescuing one of his lieutenants, due to be executed in a couple of days. They spend time while Jet and the other Freedom Fighters plan the rescue in the trees. The FF's as they call each others temporary home.

"We travel a lot" says Jet enigmatically, in response to Sokkas suspicious glances at the swiftly constructed tents and hammocks.

Sokka trains.

He watches out for Aang, never leaving him alone in the company of more than one FF.

"I don't trust you", he tells Jet. Jet laughs.

"That's _fine_, I don't trust anyone, anymore. Not even my best friend"

Sokka's fears are unfounded. They rescue the girl, Smellerbee, and leave with thanks, food, and a promise of aid from the Freedom Fighters if there is ever a need.

.

Jet packs his camp as well.

He's a wanted man, destroyer of villages and leader of rebels, so he and the FF's can never stay in one place for long. They travel northeast.

On the second night, while he's on watch, Jet is visited by the Blue Spirit.

"That boy, the Avatar. He's weak, he can't beat the Firelord" Jet tells his masked friend.

The Blue Spirit sighs, takes off his mask.

"It doesn't matter. He doesn't have to. The Lady and I can take Ozai down. We only need the Avatar's name to control the people. Plan stays the same."

Jet laughs. He does that a lot.

He has to, no one else will.

"The Avatar's companion. Sokka. He's going to be a problem"

.

When they run out of supplies, _again_, they disguise themselves with cloaks and ordinary brown clothing. Aang wears a hat.

There are wanted posters now in every town. Aang is featured in many.

Jet, the Blue Spirit and others appear on these as well. Sokka doesn't have one, yet.

He urges Aang to travel faster, no more leisure stops.

.

The Northern Water Tribe receives them with open arms, a feast, and with Master Pakku, the best water bending instructor around. Sokka is treated well, but is always restless.

He trains.

Alone and with the northern non-bending warriors. Its good to learn real water tribe style fighting as well. Hahn, the 2nd Battalion's Captain and husband to the princess challenges Sokka to a friendly spar.

"To see who fights better, North or South"

Sokka doesn't like Hahn. Still, he agrees.

The event is unfortunately public. Various soldiers gather to see the fight, as does Chief Hakoda, and the Princess, Hahn's wife, Yue.

She's gorgeous.

Maybe it's because of her that Sokka beats Hahn so thoroughly. But mostly he beats Hahn because of Bahguazhang (he's on the Intermidiate level scroll now, after fighting Zhao's soldiers and learning a little of the Kyoshi's style).

No one is particularly glad for Sokka's victory, except for Aang. People treat him a bit more coldly, they pretend not to see him when he walks down the streets or close their doors when he approaches.

Sokka doesn't blame them. Pride is very important, to the Water Tribes.

Princess Yue is different.

She offers to give him a tour of the palace. When they've visited every room and every courtyard, she shows him the city.

Yue makes Sokka smile and laugh, thigs he doesn't do much, anymore.

He falls in love with her.

.

Not too far away and getting steadily closer Admiral Zhao commands a fleet of 100 ships, heading North. He's got a plan to beat the Northern Water Tribe, one of the last rebel cities in the world once and for all.

To do so all he needs to do is kill a fish.

.

While Aang learns to waterbend and Hahn trains his tropes, Yue takes Sokka to the Spirit Oasis and he makes love to her in front of Tui and La.

He knows its wrong. She's a married woman, a princess, the future leader of the North and no one would approve. Yue tells him to stop thinking so much.

"I love you" she whispers against his lips.

But nothing good lasts forever, and the Fire Nation attacks.

Sokka volunteers to lead a battalion in battle, despite Aang's terrified protests of his safety and Yue's despairing eyes.

Hahn is told to stay behind and protect his wife.

.

Yue never loved her husband. Now that she's met Sokka, she knows that she never will. She escapes his not so watchful eye and goes to find Aang, who looks small against the front wall, even though she knows he's a very powerful bender.

Yue is an intelligent woman.

The battle may go either way as it is, and many lives will be lost. Unless she does something. Something that might not even work.

She takes Aang to the Spirit Oasis, sits him down in front of the physical forms of The Ocean and Moon spirits and hopes for the best.

When Zhao comes, there's nothing she can do to stop him from abducting La (though she tries-she stands in front of him and tries to stab him with a small whalebone knife she always carries. The admiral hits her with a backhand and she tumbles to the ground)

The moon goes red. Waterbending stops.

And Tui acts.

Aang becomes an inhuman thing, glowing and surrounded by dark water. He leaves the Oasis with a drowned Zhao and an injured La. The Avatar and Tui, for now one and the same, go out to win the battle.

Yue crawls over to the pond and holds La, opens her mind and soul and tries to save the spirit.

.

In the aftermath, There are 100 sunken Fire Nation ships, destroyed ice walls and causalities- but not as many as could be feared.

And the princess is sick.

Saving the Moon spirit has left her in permanent bed rest, uncontrollable nausea and terrible weakness.

Chief Hakoda, Master Pakku and the elders meet with Aang and Sokka and urge them to continue their journey as soon as possible. Aang hasn't mastered waterbending yet, so he'll have to practice along the way.

Sozin's comet comes at summers end and he still has two more elements to learn.

"Can we say goodbye to Yue?" Asks Aang, wide eyed and sad.

Hakoda allows it.

Aang hugs Yue and sniffles, hopping she'll get better, then gives Sokka and Yue a moment alone.

"We always knew it had to end" He tells her sardonically.

She smiles sadly and holds his hand.

"I'm glad I met you Sokka" she whispers, and he kisses her, one last time, deeply.

"I love you" He says, then turns around and leaves without looking back.

Yue doesn't cry.

* * *

AN: Thats part one, AKA, book one. Many characters who didn't appear here, like Jeong Jeon and Aunt Wu and Bato and of course, Katara, will be given explications or appear later on. This is, after all, only the beginning. I know both Aang and Sokka (though especially Sokka) are very OOC. If I could write them funny, I would in a heartbeat, but unfortunately I'm pretty sour when it comes to humor so mystery and drama and angst it is.

Thanks for reading and please review!


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